David Koukol

Director, Digital, Systems & Mission Engineering
University of Dayton Research Institute: Digital and Systems Engineering Sector

David Koukol

Director, Digital, Systems & Mission Engineering
University of Dayton Research Institute: Digital and Systems Engineering Sector

Profile

Mr. Koukol brings over 35 years of experience in military operations, product development, and government research, focusing on engineering solutions and digital transformation. As Director of the Center for Digital, Systems, and Mission Engineering, he leads efforts in Digital Materiel Management, ensuring readiness and interoperability through model-based engineering and lifecycle sustainment strategies. His leadership spans systems engineering, sensor test and evaluation, rapid prototyping, battlefield simulation, fuels processing, and metals fabrication technology, aligning technical capabilities with mission-critical needs. He also drives collaboration among UDRI organizations and external partners, developing impactful, cost-effective solutions that enhance operational efficiency and technical readiness.

Throughout his career, Dave has guided large-scale initiatives, managed multimillion-dollar programs, and supported teams in delivering complex engineering solutions. He is dedicated to fostering innovation and optimizing strategic partnerships to drive technological advancements in mission engineering. His experience across diverse sectors enables him to bridge technical expertise with stakeholder needs, ensuring sustainable and effective solutions for complex challenges.

Research

  • Digital materiel management roadmapping and implementation
  • Development of model-based systems engineering support capabilities
  • Sustaining engineering support for aircraft, support equipment, and military and commercial vehicles
  • Additive manufacturing technology transition enterprise leadership and management
  • Technology transition to enhance capabilities of next-generation and legacy aircraft, vehicles, and support equipment
  • Application of commercial off-the-shelf and custom software and associated support services to enable physics-based battlefield simulations to evaluate potential effectiveness of emerging technologies, tactics, and force structures to enable government leaders to make timely data-based investment decisions
  • Application of established, emerging, and novel energy and chemical process technologies and applications to reduce overall energy cost and improve energy resiliency for commercial and government users
  • Application of continuous improvement methodologies and tools to enhance operational, business, and manufacturing processes

Education

  • M.S., Engineering, North Carolina State University, 1996
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, North Carolina State University, 1987
  • Masters Certificate, Project Management, George Washington University, 1999
  • Professional Certificate, Architecture and Systems Engineering: Models and Methods to Manage Complex Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2022
  • Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification, 2000
  • Six Sigma Black Belt Certification, 2015

Honors and Awards

  • UDRI Exceptional Performance Award, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2025

Affiliations

  • Member, Project Management Institute
  • Member, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics